Gympie Cooloola Tourism

2014-2015

Membership Prospectus

2014-2015

Welcome

Whether you operate directly in the tourism industry, events sector or wider

business community providing a service to visitors in our region, GCT believes you

are vital to our overall tourism industry.

Over the past 18 months GCT has been engaging with members and the industry to

iden�fy market requirements, successfully delivering solu�ons to our members and

iden�fying key focuses for the 2014/15 year. The four Key Focuses for the year

ahead are Business Development, Industry Development, Marke�ng & Promo�on

and Projects & Partners.

As a member of Gympie Cooloola Tourism you will join an organisa�on that is a

leader in the local tourism industry, offering you an innova�ve service and providing

personalised support that will benefit and grow your business.

We focus on developing business and industry opportuni�es that will contribute to

the sustainability of your business and our region and invite you to become a

member.

We are pleased to present our 2014/15 Membership Prospectus which outlines the

benefits of becoming a Gympie Cooloola Tourism member. We look forward to

working with you and helping you achieve your goals in 2014/15.

If you have any ques�ons please contact our team on 07 5482 5444 or

info@cooloola.org.au

Kind Regards,

Abbey Blanchfield

Manager | Gympie Cooloola Tourism

2014-2015

Reasons to Join

GYMPIE COOLOOLA TOURISM

Who we are

Gympie Cooloola Tourism is a collec�ve member-

based organisa�on which provides business and

industry support and advocates on behalf of the

tourism industry providing a strong voice for its

members.

Gympie Cooloola Tourism is a reputable tourism

industry organisa�on that par�cipates at State,

Regional and Local levels in rela�on to Tourism

ma;ers affec�ng its members and the region.

Our Goals

GCT's goals include marke�ng our members and the

region as a des�na�on of choice; assis�ng the

growth, development and sustainability of our

members and the tourism industry; maximising the

quality of the visitor experience; collabora�ng and

advoca�ng for the development of opportuni�es.

Our Brand

Gympie Cooloola Tourism promotes and con�nues

to develop the Gympie Cooloola Region as a place

to …

Experience REAL

REAL people | REAL experiences | REAL stories

TOP 10 REASONS TO JOIN

1. Be apart of the only member-based tourism

industry organisa�on in the Gympie Cooloola

region working directly for the benefit of its

members

2. Customised lis�ng on the premier tourism

website www.cooloola.org.au

3. Featured Blog and mul�ple micro-blogs promoted

through GCT Social Media streams

4. Exclusive access to the online hub providing and

extensive collec�on of tourism and business

resources and industry informa�on

5. Weekly tourism and industry e-newsle;ers,

development opportunity alerts and exclusive

marke�ng opportunity alerts

6. Access to exclusive business development

ini�a�ves, resources, partnerships and programs

7. Increased sales opportunity via an integrated

online booking system on the GCT website

8. Invita�on to par�cipate in industry Sector Forums

and networking events across the region

9. Exclusive digital and print marke�ng

opportuni�es

10.Access to a dedicated tourism support team

Membership

Levels & Benefits

Associate Membership

$90 Plus GST

For Clubs and Associa�ons

Pro Rata $45 Plus GST 1 January 2015 - 30 June 2015

Business Membership

$120 Plus GST For Businesses and Companies

Pro Rata $60 Plus GST

1 January 2015 - 30 June 2015

GCT Supporter

$50 Plus GST For those who wish to stay in touch with

tourism news.

Membership Benefits

To become a member go to

www.cooloola.org.au and apply online.

Email manager@cooloola.org.au or

Phone 5482 5444.

2014-2015

Value for your membership

KEY FOCUSES FOR 2014/15 Gympie Cooloola Tourism has iden�fied four Key Focus

Areas based on the needs iden�fied by our local tourism

industry through member engagement and outcomes of

the Industry Forum facilitated by GCT in October 2013.

VALUE FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP

By par�cipa�ng in the services available through Gympie

Cooloola Tourism you will quickly recoup on your

investment. Below are some examples of how GCT

provides a return beyond your investment.

Op�mise your business with leaders in digital marke�ng

Your membership provides access to a proac�ve digital

based marke�ng approach showcased through the leading

tourism website www.cooloola.org.au. Digital marke�ng

includes an advanced social media campaign reinforced by

personalised support and a wealth of knowledge.

Informa�on Hub for Business Resources

Your business will have compe��ve edge with instant and

easy access to online resources and informa�on. These

will assist you in areas such as proac�ve marke�ng, human

resources, legal compliance, business development,

industry knowledge, accredita�on and partnerships. GCT

provides a one-stop-shop for all your industry informa�on

making your life easier.

Business Development Workshops

Your membership will give you access to business

development workshops giving you the skills to increase

sales, profitability and stand out from your compe�tors

just to name a few. By par�cipa�ng in just one workshop

a year you will recoup your membership fee.

Partnership benefits

Gain an instant financial and industry advantage with

exclusive offers available to members through GCT’s

collabora�on with industry accredita�on bodies.

GCT Membership

costs less than

one cup of coffee a week!

Business Development: Business Assistance

Development programs

Sustainability strategies

Networks & Contacts

Business Workshops

Industry Development: Industry Advocacy

Accredita�on

Industry Informa�on Access

Visitor experience

Packaging & Bundling

Marke�ng & Promo�on: Digital Marke�ng

Social Media & Blogs

Online booking

Opportunity Development

Collabora�ve Marke�ng

Projects & Partners: Nature Based Eco Tourism

Project Opportuni�es

Industry Partnerships

Business partnerships

Educa�on & Training

Website Features

Listing & Bookeasy

2014-2015

GYMPIE COOLOOLA TOURISM WEBSITE

The Gympie Cooloola Tourism’s premier website

www.cooloola.org.au offers visitors a holis�c view for their

holiday in the Gympie Cooloola Region.

Our website features exclusive members lis�ng. Your lis�ng

can be customised and featured on mul�ple sec�ons, if ap‐

propriate.

Lis�ng’s include an image, business descrip�on, contact de-

tails including social media links and accredita�on logo’s.

Here is an example of a website lis�ng:

ONLINE BOOKING FACILITY

The Gympie Cooloola Tourism website now features

Bookeasy, an online booking facility for

accommoda�on and tours. Your customers can book

with the click of a bu;on!

Bookeasy widgets are available on the:

• Website homepage

• Individual accommoda�on pages &

• Individual tour pages

Crea�ng a Bookeasy lis�ng is FREE, with a

commission based system on sales.

YOUR ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR BUSINESS AND TOURISM INFORMATION

We are commi;ed to providing resources to assist in the development and sustainability of your business.

The exclusive online members feature is brimming with essen�al industry informa�on in an easy to

navigate design.

Members have access to an extensive collec�on of resources including marke�ng and media resources,

up-to-date tourism news, legal compliance and licensing, research and sta�s�cs, upcoming workshops and

seminars, GCT partners and projects, human resources as well as valuable business resources.

2014-2015

Website Features

Members Only Area

GCT BLOG BANK

Gympie Cooloola Tourism’s Blog Bank is featured on

www.cooloola.org.au and tells the unique stories of our

members and this region. It is the heart of our website

and gives visitors a wealth of knowledge for their journey

in the region.

Members can be featured on the Blog Bank by sending

through 5 images and 5 paragraphs telling their unique

story! Blog’s are also featured on Gympie Cooloola

Tourism social media sites as micro-blogs.

2014-2015

Blog Bank & Social Media

GCT SOCIAL MEDIA

Gympie Cooloola Tourism Social Media can be u�lised by

members by providing micro-blogs, images for display and by

sharing to our social media websites.

Gympie Cooloola Tourism u�lises:

Facebook | Twi;er | Google+ | Pinterest | Youtube

2014-2015

Advertising Opportunities

GCT ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES

REAL Deals

Make an impact with Real Deal’s featured on the Gympie Cooloola Tourism Website. Real

Deal’s are available for Accommoda�on, Dining and Celebra�ons as well as Adventures,

Tours and Ac�vi�es. This feature allows members to promote an image, special offer

descrip�on, contact details and link to their special.

At just $50 a month these deals are a steal!

GCT Visitor eNewsle5er

Why not take advantage of our regular visitor eNewsle;er with a special visitor offer for

free. This feature allows members to promote an image, special offer and contact details.

External Adver�sing Opportuni�es

Members can find a range of external adver�sing opportuni�es available in the exclusive

member sec�on of the Gympie Cooloola Tourism website. This features an array of print

and digital marke�ng opportuni�es available.

Projects & Partners

Projects & Partners

GCT PROJECTS AND PARTNERS

Collabora�on is the key to achieving great results in the tourism industry. For this reason, Gympie Cooloola

Tourism encourages ac�ve engagement between industry partners and stakeholders. 2014 has seen

the implementa�on of several key projects for members including:

Integra�on of Online Booking Facility into the GCT website

GCT has invested funds into integra�ng Bookeasy, an online booking system for Accommoda�on and Tours, into

the GCT website. This facility has been integrated in the same professional design and high quality colour scheme

as the GCT website. It is easy to use and friendly for consumers to book, with search func�ons on the website

homepage, accommoda�on pages, tours and ac�vi�es pages as well as adventures

webpages. This facility was released in April 2014.

New Exclusive Members Area integrated into the GCT Website

GCT has developed a exclusive sec�on for members which acts as a ’one stop shop’ for all your tourism and

business needs. The members area has 9 key areas including Industry News, Workshops and Seminars, Business

Development, Legal Compliance, Research and Sta�s�cs, Marke�ng and Media, Human Resources, Corporate Doc-

uments as well as Partners and Projects. This func�on was released in May 2014.

New Business Publica�ons

GCT is set to release 3 new publica�ons in May 2014 for the 2014/2015 members including a Media Pack,

Government and Tourism Contacts Publica�on and Marke�ng Opportuni�es Publica�on. These documents are

available for GCT members only.

Australia Nature Coast Partner

GCT has partnered with Sunshine Coast Des�na�on, Fraser Coast Tourism, Noosa Tourism, Great Sandy Biosphere,

Noosa Biosphere to develop the collec�ve region’s interna�onal presence as a nature based experience. The Chair-

man of Tourism Australia launched the ANC concept at the Australia Tourism Exchange (ATE) in 2013. Dollar for

Dollar funding was successfully applied for from Tourism and Events Queensland round 1. GCT has par�cipated in

Phase 1 & 2.

2014-2015

Projects & Partners

Projects & Partners

TQUAL ACCREDITATION PARTNERSHIPS

Earthcheck Accredita�on

GCT is partnering with EC3 Global to offer members free accredita�on via Earthcheck, under the EC3 Global Business Ready

Program. This program commenced in March 2014.

Caravan RV & Accommoda�on Accredita�on

GCT is partnering with Caravan RV & Accommoda�on Industry of Australia (CRVA) to offer members a 10% discount off the

first year’s Accredita�on fees. This program commenced in May 2014.

Ecotourism Australia Accredita�on

GCT is partnering with Ecotourism Australia is offering GCT Members a complimentary one-hour coaching session for each

new applicant to assist with the cer�fica�on applica�on process. This program commenced in May 2014.

Star Ra�ng Accredita�on

GCT is partnering with AAA Tourism to offer non-star rated GCT members a special 15 month Licence and waiver of the

$100 Applica�on fee via the STAR Ra�ng Program. This program commenced in May 2014.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Service Skills Australia Workforce Futures

GCT has partnered with Service Skills Australia under the Workforce Futures program to bring Na�onal Workforce

Development Fund opportuni�es to the Gympie Cooloola Region as well as jobs skills advisors to work with Business

owners. This program commenced in August 2013.

Service Skills Australia Labour Exchange

GCT has partnered with Service Skills Australia to offer members who have difficulty retaining staff because of seasonality,

the opportunity to express an interest in a seasonal labour exchange. This program commenced in March 2014.

University of the Sunshine Coast Internships

GCT is partnering with the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) to offer GCT members the opportunity to host a business

intern. Internships are available in any of the major business degree programs on offer in the Faculty of Arts and Business.

This program will allow members the opportunity to have short-term projects staffed and completed whilst gaining new

insight and ideas for their business. This program will commence in July 2014.

2014-2015

Gympie Cooloola Tourism Inc.

P 61 7 5482 5444

E info@cooloola.org.au

W www.cooloola.org.au A PO Box 415 Gympie Qld 4570

ABN: 73 155 357 148